Africa

Africa

Suspected Boko Haram militants kill 21 in northeastern Nigeria

25 July 2015 17:24 (UTC +04:00)

A resident said Saturday that the militants stormed the village of Maikadiri in Borno State at about 9:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT Friday) and opened fire on people.

"They laid siege in daylight because there are no soldiers or police nearby," said another resident, putting the death toll at 21. The attackers "killed, destroyed and then fled," he added.

A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the attack.

According to local residents, many people fled the village while many houses and shops were set ablaze.

On July 22, at least eight people were gunned down by the Takfiri militants during a raid on the village of Pompomari in the troubled Borno State.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” controls large parts of northeastern Nigeria. Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria are the four African countries which have been directly affected by the growing threat of Boko Haram in recent months.